KARACHI: Anti-Terrorism Court on Tuesday issued a four day physical remand of Armaghan Qureshi, prime suspect in the Mustafa Amir murder case.
Earlier in the day the Sindh High Court approved all four applications concerning Armughan’s remand on charges of illegally possessing weapons, kidnapping, murder and other offences and set aside the ATC’s previous orders.
The court ordered that Armaghan be produced before ATC II for remand.
The police had approached the Sindh High Court seeking the physical remand of the prime suspect, which was previously denied by ATC No 1.
Justice Zafar Rajput of the SHC presided over the hearing, during which the suspect, Armaghan, was also present.
Acting prosecutor General Sindh along with other officials appeared before the court. Armaghan’s father was also in the courtroom.
The prosecutor read the FIR registered in the abduction of Mustafa Amir and told the court that Mustafa Amir was abducted on January 6 and his mother had recorded a statement that she received a phone call demanding a ransom of Rs 20 million after which the case was handed over to Investigation AVCC police. On February 8 the police on a tip raided a bungalow where the suspect was housed.
The suspect fired at the police party in which a police officer and a constable were injured. The court questioned what sort of weapons were recovered during the raid to which the prosecutor replied that there is a separate FIR for this.
Suspect Armaghan was presented before the ATC on February 10 for a physical remand in three cases. The ATC refused to grant physical remand of the suspect, the court was told.
Burned body of missing Mustafa Amir recovered in Karachi
During the hearing, Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput questioned Armaghan if he was tortured to which the suspect replied” Yes I was tortured”.
He attempted to show the torture marks on his body by pulling up his shirt but no marks were found. The court questioned him if he filed an application with the jail authorities for a medical on which Armaghan replied that he had not.
SUSPECT CLAIMS INNOCENCE
During a court hearing, the suspect spoke to journalists, denying any involvement in the case.
“I have nothing to do with this,” he said. When asked if he knew Shiraz, he replied, “I don’t know anyone. The shooting happened because police officers came to rob my house.”
The suspect, Armaghan, further claimed, “I am being framed. I did not kill Mustafa.”